170 May Quotation from Sir A. Helps. 



'I remember once when, after a long journey, I was ap- 

 proaching a city ennobled by great works of art, and of great 

 renown, that I had to pass through what I was told by the 

 guide-books was most insipid country, only to be hurried over 

 as fast as might be, and nothing to be thought or said about it. 

 But the guide-books, though very clever and useful things in 

 their way, do not know each of us personally, nor what we 

 secretly like and care for. Well, I was speeding through this 

 " uninteresting " country, and now there remained but one 

 long dull stage, as I read, to be gone through before I should 

 reach the much-wished-for city. It was necessary to stay some 

 time (for we travelled vetturino fashion) at the little post- 

 house, and I walked on, promising to be in the way whenever 

 the vehicle should overtake me. The road led through a wood, 

 chiefly of pines, varied, however, occasionally by other trees. 



' Into this wood I strayed. There was that indescribably 

 soothing noise (the Romans would have used the word 

 susurrus), the aggregate of many gentle movements of gentle 

 creatures. The birds hopped but a few paces off, as I ap- 

 proached them; the brilliant butterflies wavered hither and 

 thither before me ; there was a soft breeze that day, and the 

 tops of the tall trees swayed to and fro politely to each other. 

 I found many delightful resting-places. It was not all dense 

 wood ; but here and there were glades (such open spots, I 

 mean, as would be cut through by the sword for an army to 

 pass) ; and here and there stood a clump of trees of different 

 heights and foliage, as beautifully arranged as if some triumph 

 of the art of landscape had been intended, though it was only 

 Nature's way of healing up the gaps in the forest. For her 

 healing is a new beauty. 



1 It was very warm, without which nothing is beautiful to 

 me ; and I fell into the pleasantest train of thought. The 

 easiness of that present moment seemed to show the pos- 

 sibility of all care being driven away from the world some 

 day. For thus peace brings a sensation of power with it. I 



